Key support



Dec. 31, 1935. R, N LUPFER A2,026,185

KEY SUPPORT Filed MaICh 22, 1935 i l j Patented Dec. 31, 1.935'

UNITED STATES PATENT` OFFICE KEY SUPPORT Application March 22, 1935, SerialNo. 12,349

i 7 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved key supporting arrangement particularly adapted to be employed in key cases, for example of the conventional leather type. More particularly the present invention affords an arrangement to facilitate the individual removal of key hangers from the support or case when" desired. Often the user of a key case prefers to remove certain hangers with the associated keys so that only a few keys are retained with the case, thus permitting the latter to be more compact and more conveniently carried in a pocket or handbag. Furthermore, it is sometimes desirable to replace a broken or damaged hanger rather than discarding the entire case and support.

The present invention particularly affords a simple, inexpensive arrangement permitting the removal of any selected hanger when desired, but ordinarily arranged so that the hangers are securely retained upon the suport. To this end the present invention affords a supporting plate provided with recessed or slotted portions to receive the hanger supports or hangers, but arranged so that the hangers may be removed therefrom when a retaining bar is moved out of its normal position.Y Such a bar may conveniently be pivoted to the back of the supporting plate and may normally cover or close the open ends of the slots which receive the key hangers.

A suitable retaining element may be associated with the end of the retaining bar to hold it in normal position but to permit its movement relative to the support. Preferably the retaining element may be in the form of an integral extension of the bar which affords a spring clip engaging one end of the support, While the opposite end of the bar may be pivotally connected to the opposite end of the support. Thus in its normal position the major portion of the bar may be o concealed behind the support, the retaining clip,

however, being visible and conveniently located for engagement by the finger or thumb of the user so that the bar may be swung to its inoperative position, whereupon a hanger may be re# moved or replaced as desired.

In the accompanying drawing,

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of my improved key hanger assembly showing the same 0 secured to a conventional enclosing case, the latter being in its open position and the retaining bar being shown in an optional position by dot and dash lines;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevationV of a portion of the 55 case and the hanger support with parts broken away and parts of the support shown in dotted lines;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the support and the upper part of the case shown in Fig. l, a part of the case being shown in section;

Fig. 4 is a similar view with the retaining bar shown in its inoperative position and with a hanger support shown in the position it may occupy as it is being moved into or out of engagement with the supporting plate; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional View of an optional form of hangenassembly showing the manner in which this invention may be employed when a hanger is directly connected to the supporting plate.

The accompanying drawing may be referred to as presenting a preferred exempliflcation of the present invention, the numeral I designating a conventional key case which may be formed of leather or the like. This case is provided with an intermediate or body portion to which a supporting plate I0 is secured by fastening elements such as rivets II, the case also having the ccnventional side portions or flaps which normally are fastened in overlapping position when the case is closed.

The plate I0 may be formed of a at sheet metal blank shaped to provide a partially cylindrical or bead-like upper portion I2, the edge I3 of this portion of the metal, however, being spaced from the adjoining portion thereof so that a slot I4 is provided extending across the rear portion of the support adjoining the inner face of the case I. The beaded portion I2 of the support is provided with circumferential slots I6 which have open rear ends communicating with the transverse slot I4 at the back of the support. Normally hanger supports (or hangers) may be received in the respective slots I6. Thus, as shown particularly in Figs. 1 and 3, each hanger support I5 may be formed from wire to provide an eye IGH, and a shank portion extending through a slot I6, the end of each wire being formed into enlarged head I8 which may have a face shaped to resemble the surface of a portion of a sphere and may engage the inner surface of the beaded portion I2 of the support.

Thus a connection is provided permitting the convenient swinging movement of the hanger support in any direction relative to the supporting plate. The looped or eye portion I6a`of each hanger support may engage the upper end of a key hanger I9 of any suitable type, such as a resilient, looped hanger of the type illustrated, which may readily receive a key. Y Y

In accordance with this invention, means is ioI provided normally to prevent the disengagement of a hanger support from the supporting plate while permitting the selected removal of any hanger support whenV desired. For this purpose a retaining bar 2li may be pivotally connected as by a rivet 2l to one end of the supporting plate Ill. Preferably, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the bar 2@ is located behind the upper or beaded portion of the supporting plate Vlil so that it may be substantially concealed by the same when in its normal operative position. The bar Zl may conveniently be formed of a iiat pieceof metal having a short depending ear or lug-22 eX.- tending downwardly to the pivotal connection 2| and having an elongate planar body'portion with an extent substantially equal to the width of the supporting plate I0. A lug at-the endoi the bar 20 may be bent outwardly and downwardly to provide a spring clip 2'3, as shown particularly in Figs. 3 and 4, this clip being arranged to engage the end section of beading I2 with a snap action. Ilius when the retaining bar is in its normal position, its ends being held by the pivotal support u2i and the retaining element V23, its body portion is effective in substantially closing the transverse slot Ill at the back of the supporting plate. Accordingly the open ends of the slots I6 are substantially obstructed so that it is impossible to remove or replacea hanger support.

` Whenit is desired to remove "a hanger I9 from the assembly, the clip or retaining element 23 may be disengaged from the beading I2 and the bar 20 may then be swung upwardly at a suitable angle to'uncover the transverse slot Ill and leave the Vend portions of the slots I6 unobstructed. Thus, for example, the bar may be swung upwardly to the position particularly illustrated in Fig.` 4, whereupon the hanger support I5 may be swung upwardly over the beading I2 until its shank passes out of the open end of the corresponding slot I6 and its head I3 passes through the slot Ill at the back of the supporting plate.

It is furthermore evident that a 'hanger support may be introducedv into a vacant or unoccupied slot I6 by following a similar procedure, i. e.,'by rst swinging the retaining bar 20 to its inoperative position and then Yintroducing the shank portion of the support in the open end of a slot I6 with the head I8 of the support passing through the slot I 4; the hanger support may then be swung over the beading to its normal depending position, illustrated for `example in Fig. 3. Thereupon the retaining bar 28 may be swung downwardly between the supporting plate ID and the case I, so that the clip 23 is snapped back into normal engagement with the beading I2.

A general .arrangement` of this character'may also be employed when hanger supports are dispensed with and the hangers themselves directly engage the supporting plate. ThusvFig. 5 shows a sectional view of such an arrangement, wherein the hanger 3) may be in the form of a wire hook having a ball-like head portion 3| received in the beading portion I2 of a hanger support I0 similar to that already described. Such an assembly may be provided with a retaining bar 20 arranged in the manner already disclosed. Accordinglyfwhen the bar 20 is swung to its inoperative position the slot atY the rear ofthe support is uncovered so that the hook may be removed at the back of the support ina manner already described with reference to a hanger I5.

While, in the illustrated embodiments of the invention, I have shown the slots I6 communicating with a single transverse slot I4, it is evident that many of the advantages of this invention may be attained by providing the respective slots with individual enlarged portions through which the heads of the hanger supports may be removed but which are normally obstructed by the retaining bar.

It is 'evident that this arrangement affords simple means `to permit'the convenient removal of any selected hanger or hanger support from the supporting plate of a key hanger assembly.

A device of this type may be conveniently manipulated merely by engaging the nger or thumb nail of the user with the clip I2 to swing the retainer to its inoperative position, whereupon the hanger or hanger support may be readily removed and the retaining bar swung back to its normal position so that the spring clip may again `hold it in place. It is evident that the retainingbar-IEJ may be substantially concealed by the support aside from the clip 23 which overlies theY end section of the beading betweena slot I6 and the end of the plate and accordingly is quite inconspicuous. Thus a simple and neat appearing assembly may be provided.

I-claim:

1. A key supporting assembly for a key case or the like, `confiprising a supporting plate having a beaded portion with a plurality of circumferential slots therein, said slots having portions arranged to permit the-removal of the heads of hanger supports or hangers, a retainingfbar, and a-pivotconnecting the bar tothe plate, said bar normally obstructing said portions of the slots andbeing capable of 'being swung about the pivot and away from the plate'to uncover said portions of theslotsto permit the removal of a hanger.

`2. A' key supporting assembly for a key case or the like, comprising .a supporting plate having a beaded portion with a plurality of circumferential slots'therein,`hanger supports having'heads receivedin said'beaded portion and shanks eX- tending through said slots, said slots having portions arranged'to permit the removal of the'heads of the'hanger supports, a retaining bar, and a pivot connecting the bar and theplate, said bar normally obstructing said portions ofthe slots andbeing.capableofbeing-swung away from the plate to uncoversaid portions of the slots tc permitthe removal of a hanger.

Y3. A key supporting assembly for a key case or the like, comprising a supporting plate having a beaded portion with a plurality of circumferential slots therein, said slots having ends arranged to permit the removal of the heads of hanger supports or hangers, a retaining bar, and a pivot connecting the bar to one end of the plate, said bar normally obstructing said ends of the slots and being capable of being swung about the pivot and away from the plate to uncover said ends of the slots to permit the removal of a hanger, and a retaining element holding the bar against swinging from its normal position.

4. A key'sup'p'orting assembly for a key case or the like, comprising a'supporting plate having a beaded portiondwith a plurality of circumferential slots therein, said slots having ends arranged to `permit the removal of the heads of hanger supports or-hangers, a retaining bar, and a, pivot `c'fmnecting the bar to one end of the plate, said bar -normally vobstructing saidends of the slots and being capable of being swung about the pivotfto-uncover said ends of the slots to permit the removall of v`a hanger, and a clip upon the bar engageable with the end of the beaded portion and holding the bar against swinging from its normal position.

5. A key supporting assembly for a key case or the like, comprising a supporting plate having a planar body portion and a beaded edge portion arranged so that a transverse slot is provided between the edge of the beaded portion and the adjoining part of the planar body portion, said beaded portion being provided with a plurality of circumferential slots to receive hangers or hanger supports, said circumferential slots having open ends communicating with said transverse slot, and a retaining bar pivotally connected to one end of the supporting plate and capable of normally being positioned to obstruct the open ends of the circumferential slots.

6. A key supporting assembly for a key case or the like, comprising a supporting plate having a planar body portion and a beaded edge portion arranged so that a transverse slot is provided between the edge o the beaded portion and the adjoining part of the planar body portion, said beaded portion being provided with a plurality of circumferential slots to receive hangers or hanger supports, said circumferential slots having open ends communicating with said transverse slot, a retaining bar pivotally connected to one end of the supporting plate and capable of normally being positioned substantially to close the transverse slot and to obstruct the open ends of. the plurality of slots, and a retaining element associated with the end of the-retaining bar opposite its pivotal connection with the supporting plate so that the retaining bar may normally be held in its operative position. 1o

'7. A key supporting assembly for a key case or the like, comprising a supporting plate having a beaded portion with a plurality of slots dividing it into short sections, said slots having portions through which key hanger supports may 15 be removed, a retaining bar pivotally connected to said plate and substantially concealed by said beaded portion, an integral extension of said bar providing a spring clip normally fitting over the section of said beaded portion at the end of the 20 plate opposite the pivotal connection, said clip being capable of disengagement from said section to permit the bar to swing out of normal position to uncover said portions of the slots.

25 ROBERT N. LUPFER. 

